The Thumb Throttle Podcast
Ep. 30 Brent Sturdivant: ATV Racing Insights: Podium Thrills and Pro Rider Life
When Colton Yankovich recounts his first podium finish at the Old Gray race, it's like you're right there in the thick of it—feeling every bump and hearing the roar of engines. This episode is a wild ride through the highs and lows of ATV racing, from the crunch of gears to the rush of crossing the finish line. You'll get an insider's look at the nail-biting moments on the track and the relentless effort behind the scenes. We even tackle the mental game that's as relentless as the physical challenges these racers face, offering strategies and insights to elevate your own riding prowess.
Bringing the heat this time around is Brent Sturdivant, whose transition from racer to team owner is packed with stories that will make you laugh and nod in agreement. His candid take on the pressures of racing, team management, and the dusty fate of our best-intended fitness gadgets is as entertaining as it is eye-opening. We also dive into the camaraderie and rivalries that fuel the ATV community, sharing personal tales about switching bike brands and how it can shape a rider's career. Plus, our conversation about balancing work, education, and racing sheds light on the less glamorous but all-important aspects of life as a working pro rider.
As we zoom towards future horizons, we're stoked to talk about budding developments in racing coaching programs and the trendsetting world of remote training. This episode doesn't just end at the checkered flag; it's about the ongoing race of improvement, dedication, and the enduring spirit of the ATV community. Whether you're a die-hard fan or a casual listener looking for some adrenaline-pumping stories, join us for a heart-racing episode that's sure to keep your wheels steady and spirits high until we meet again at the St Clairsville Powerline Park GNCC.
Need some graphics for your 2024 build? Get in touch with Liz Harper at ProGraph-x https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100047138575927&mibextid=9R9pXO
Let her know you’re a thumb Throttle listener and she’ll hook you up with a 15% discount!
When Colton Yankovich recounts his first podium finish at the Old Gray race, it's like you're right there in the thick of it—feeling every bump and hearing the roar of engines. This episode is a wild ride through the highs and lows of ATV racing, from the crunch of gears to the rush of crossing the finish line. You'll get an insider's look at the nail-biting moments on the track and the relentless effort behind the scenes. We even tackle the mental game that's as relentless as the physical challenges these racers face, offering strategies and insights to elevate your own riding prowess.
Bringing the heat this time around is Brent Sturdivant, whose transition from racer to team owner is packed with stories that will make you laugh and nod in agreement. His candid take on the pressures of racing, team management, and the dusty fate of our best-intended fitness gadgets is as entertaining as it is eye-opening. We also dive into the camaraderie and rivalries that fuel the ATV community, sharing personal tales about switching bike brands and how it can shape a rider's career. Plus, our conversation about balancing work, education, and racing sheds light on the less glamorous but all-important aspects of life as a working pro rider.
As we zoom towards future horizons, we're stoked to talk about budding developments in racing coaching programs and the trendsetting world of remote training. This episode doesn't just end at the checkered flag; it's about the ongoing race of improvement, dedication, and the enduring spirit of the ATV community. Whether you're a die-hard fan or a casual listener looking for some adrenaline-pumping stories, join us for a heart-racing episode that's sure to keep your wheels steady and spirits high until we meet again at the St Clairsville Powerline Park GNCC.
Need some graphics for your 2024 build? Get in touch with Liz Harper at ProGraph-x https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100047138575927&mibextid=9R9pXO
Let her know you’re a thumb Throttle listener and she’ll hook you up with a 15% discount!
Hit the button dingus.
Speaker 2:Shut up.
Speaker 3:Are you ready?
Speaker 2:We go.
Speaker 1:G-E-N-C-T-R-O-W. Hey sport, you race four-wheelers.
Speaker 2:It'd be a lot cooler if you did.
Speaker 1:Man, I can't. Is that good? Ready for another episode of the Thumb Throttle Podcast.
Speaker 2:Welcome back everyone. This is episode 30 of the Thumb Throttle Podcast. I'm your co-host, Colton Yankovic.
Speaker 1:And along with the host, john Yankovic, and co-host Devin Masters. Devin, what's up? What's up guys? Oh, not much. Hey, just kind of.
Speaker 1:Before we get going here, I want to apologize for everybody, and I don't apologize very often, but we have been lacking and slacking on getting these shows out. Last year I think we didn't have quite the following that we did, so I wasn't as hurried to get these out, but now I feel like I owe people something and it's the first spring that we've had and with cutting grass and having races pretty much every weekend, it has been nonstop for us. So, come hell or high water, we were doing one this week and I think we're three races behind really to catch up on. So I apologize to everybody. We're going to try and get better moving forward, but you got us now, so sit back, enjoy. Like I said, we got Devin on with us today. Devin's going to go over some stuff. We got some exciting stuff in that regard, and we're going to have Brent Sturdivant on today. Devin's going to go over some stuff. We got some exciting stuff in that regard, uh, and we're going to have Brent start of it on today, uh. So this is going to be a pretty good show. So you're going to want to sit back, relax, pour yourself a bourbon or orange juice or whatever it is you want. If you're driving, just stick with the water and the iced tea or the pop and Pepsi and we'll go from there.
Speaker 1:So, colton Lee, what? You got a couple races to talk about. Which ones? Well, since we had the last show, there was the Old Gray in Tennessee, there was the New East Coast in Maryland and then there was the GNCC Hoosier, and, oh man, it's been four weeks since we put one out. Really, there was the New East Coast in Buchanan this weekend. So why don't you start off with the Old Grey your first time on the box? How was that? Yeah, it was fun, wow, everybody. I hope you prepared for four weeks for that bit of insight.
Speaker 4:I mean, that was pretty powerful stuff, it was, wasn't it? I felt like I was literally in the race. I know man of few words, that's for sure. Yeah, can we get some background on these races? Yeah, Colton.
Speaker 1:Hello Earth to Colton on these races. Yeah, colton, hello earth the colton. I'm tied. I'm trying to take a drink. Well, you've really picked a good time to do that, when people are asking you questions this is going downhill already no, it's going downhill because you're letting it go downhill. So why don't you recap the old gray race, the first gncc that you were actually on the podium?
Speaker 4:I don't remember that the bike shut off. How was the track?
Speaker 2:Rocky, I mean, it was a. It was kind of a tighter track.
Speaker 4:So it's more old school.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 4:Gotcha, gotcha. Any more stuff you got.
Speaker 1:What did so I guess this will fall onto me, since I was the other person that was there so kind of set it up. I mean, if you're listening, you probably know pretty much what led up to it. It was a brand new facility down in tennessee. Uh, we were all pretty excited about going there, mainly because, you know, for us no one has ever seen the track before. So you kind of wipe out that advantage that anyone had of you, you know, being on that track for one or two races before that.
Speaker 1:And, uh, the weather, as usual this this year, was really not on our side. So they had really bad rainstorms, thunderstorms, um thursday night going into friday and they actually post. They postponed the entry to the gate till about noon on friday to kind of get everybody uh in there. Um, it was really wet, but you know it was a little bit tricky getting in there. It was pretty muddy. But once we got in there, I think it rained a little bit more that night. Um, and then I'm trying to think here if that was yeah, that was, there's so many races running together here uh, it rained a little bit that evening and then after that there was no more rain. So we woke up to a pretty nice, pretty nice day. It was a little bit chilly but as far as track conditions, I felt that the track dealt with water pretty well, just getting on it and walking it the day before and then walking it. The minis went out there, kind of dried everything up and then it was Colton starting to go.
Speaker 2:So take it from there and ago, so take it from there. Um so, all right, let me think I am. I gotta put myself there.
Speaker 4:I gotta put yourself on the four-wheeler.
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm. Yeah, all right.
Speaker 4:So I know what we're working on in the next month's training is nothing with on-the-bike training at all.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 4:It's going to be us putting you on camera and then making you talk.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Yeah, that's pretty much. I think we need to start there. I think it'll all come a little bit easier once we get him actually talking about stuff he's if you could see him. Right now he's got this blank stare, like I just asked him where he was the day jfk was assassinated. What, all right? Why don't we do this?
Speaker 4:how was your start? Do you have a good start the day JFK was assassinated? What, All right? Well, I don't want to do this. How was your start?
Speaker 2:Did you have a good start? No, I didn't. I was like last going into the woods.
Speaker 1:Yes, he was, but.
Speaker 2:I remember now, wait, no, you can keep talking, but I remember where I was now.
Speaker 1:I think you were 13th or 14th going into the woods.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so pretty much dead last, that's perfect.
Speaker 4:What did you do for me?
Speaker 2:I was ripping right. I managed to get 10 places because I'm so fast, not because people didn't finish. That's, besides, the point. I was so fast that I got into third place.
Speaker 1:After the first lap.
Speaker 2:After the first lap Not after the first lap, After like the, how many laps did we do? Four.
Speaker 1:I think you did five.
Speaker 2:So like three or four After the third or fourth lap.
Speaker 1:It was the third lap.
Speaker 2:Third lap.
Speaker 1:Yep.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:So after the third lap you managed to pull into third place and you managed to hold third place for the whole lap yes, yes, I did so giving that, given that it was a tight track, how are you able to negotiate all the the bottlenecks and and stuff of that nature and make passes on such a tight track?
Speaker 2:So I kind of just went around them all.
Speaker 1:Why didn't I think of that?
Speaker 4:He said, he gave her a little Cindy send and then a little loop-de-doo, and on his way he went.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what Devin said.
Speaker 4:He said he brats so hard but okay.
Speaker 1:So since colton doesn't want to give our listeners the the on the bike experience, uh that they said right that they so rightfully deserve. I I will give you my experience.
Speaker 2:You're going to give them the experience?
Speaker 1:No, I'm going to give them the experience of the mechanic, the team manager, the financier and the dad that was watching his kid who's been doing this for four years been doing this for four years.
Speaker 1:Four years, but his second year of GNCC um finally be in a podium position and and holding on to it. Uh, I remember, I remember the start and seeing him go off. It was, you know, your typical field start they take, they go off from the field, go through a few chicanes into the woods. It wasn't a very long start, um, but then again it wasn't one of those really abbreviated starts, so it was kind of the average takeoff area. Um, we did not get a good start, uh. So you know, in the back of my mind I'm like here we go again.
Speaker 1:Uh, we're gonna get we're gonna get stuck behind all the traffic. He's gonna. He's gonna have to work, get around these guys. Let's take track, the leaders are gonna check out, check out and, um, you know, seen this story before, uh, so, so, as he came through the first lap, I think he had moved up to seventh or eighth. And you know we were. We were looking at the lap times and I'm thinking, well, he's not too far back. Uh, then the third lap came through and he was up in third place. Uh, but I happened to notice that one kid didn't show up on scoring. So I'm thinking, all right, so I'm not getting my hopes up. Uh, he's probably in fourth.
Speaker 1:There's an issue with the scoring, because that happens from time to time, and the more I waited, the more time went on. I think he come through the fourth lap. He was in third place and I was was like, wow, he's, he's got this. Um, I haven't seen anybody else come in. Well, at that time the kid that I thought was in front of him checked in behind him in fourth place, and I think he was a minute and a half behind.
Speaker 1:So now I went from being really confident to I'm still pretty confident, but who knows what can happen. I mean, this is, this is what you start to expect whenever you know you become less of a dreamer and more of a realist. You know, I'm just thinking just hold the bike together. Just hold the bike together, make good line choices, just ride it home. Don't do anything stupid. I mean, I can't really communicate and tell him that. You know, second place is, I think, three minutes ahead of him, so I'm trying not to tell him. I'm hoping that he's not pushing it so hard to try and catch them that he ends up wrecking the bike. But all in all, he held on, I think. Correct me if I'm wrong, devin, I think that last lap he actually was one of his faster laps.
Speaker 4:So the last lap he was the fastest rider in the class rider in the class by 10 seconds over one guy and about 40 seconds over the other guys.
Speaker 1:Yeah, didn't remember that.
Speaker 2:No, I do remember.
Speaker 4:His fastest lap of the day was the third lap, but he was the most consistent rider.
Speaker 1:See and consistency pays yeah yep I do remember, though I didn't know it was possible, but I did pop my tire yeah, we, I didn't even notice that until you came into the finish line and your left rear tire you had gashed the sidewall in it. That was one of those races we decided not to run the tire blocks in, so thank God that you made it, and it's a good testament for the GPSB lock wheels, because they held the tire on, you kept trucking and you brought it home for your first national podium, so congratulations on that.
Speaker 1:Thank you Now moving on.
Speaker 4:Congratulations on the finish, not so much on the talking about it afterwards.
Speaker 2:Thanks Devin. So we'll move on to one other thing to note too um the we've been having some kind of issue and I think, yes, we have.
Speaker 1:I think we've narrowed it down to some kind of fueling issue where once or twice during the race, the bike will shut off.
Speaker 2:Um, you said it happened at this race I'm no, not it did not happen in tennessee. Okay, it didn't happen in tennessee it happened at the hoosier the uh new east coast, both of the new east coast.
Speaker 4:Yeah so we definitely happened at the new east coast. We had the gopro approved.
Speaker 1:Yes and uh, this, yes, and I think we've got it narrowed down to a fueling problem that we hopefully have the solution for.
Speaker 2:Oh, you, yes. What is it?
Speaker 1:Thanks to Chris Shoup. He thinks it's something that is in the carburetor, so he's going to build you a new carburetor.
Speaker 2:It should be here by power line.
Speaker 1:It will be here tomorrow, we will throw it on the bike tomorrow, uh, and then we will get ready for power lines. So, um, it's kind of frustrating. I know, devin, you and I've been going back and forth on this, trying to figure out what it could be if it was electrical, if it was fuel, if it was. You know, I was to the point where I was getting ready to blame it on the tires. I was just so frustrated with everything and my brain was everywhere. But I think that's what we got it narrowed down to. I think something's happening where it's just flooding out the carb too much, because after he sits for a minute because that seems to be about the time he he loses. Every time is about a minute and the gopro kind of proved it on this one.
Speaker 2:I think it was a minute and 20 seconds minute minute and 18 minute and 18 seconds but that's what the like a second or two of riding before and after.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but regardless it's about the same time all the time. Yeah, a minute give or take. I think if it was electrical that kind of wouldn't happen. I think it was just enough time for whatever was in there flooding-wise to kind of like work itself out, and then you fired back up and you were good to go. So hopefully we will put that demon behind us and actually get a good baseline without any any mechanicals. Uh, because you know, looking back on the last couple races, that minute and a half, that you were down kind of cost me the race yeah, yeah, it it really did, because the last race um in buchanan you were consistent.
Speaker 1:You throw that lap out. You were consistent yeah and you know you definitely had the uh. There were some issues, devin, and I have talked about those and we've kind of formulated a plan going forward for that.
Speaker 2:That wasn't one of my best races.
Speaker 1:It's a marathon, not a sprint. Just remember that. We don't have to solve everything in one race. The thing is, we just keep working on it and we'll eventually get there.
Speaker 4:I was always told you find out what you made of on your worst days. That's true.
Speaker 1:That's true. I think that really speaks volumes to the mental side of it. That really speaks volumes to your the mental side of it, because if you're having a bad day, the bike's just not going where you want it to go, you know it's just you're messing up turns, you're, you're missing lines, uh. If you can still keep yourself in mentally, uh, throughout the whole race, then I think that is where you really kind of figure out you know your abilities there, because everything else you can work on, I I guess you can work on the mental aspect of it too. I just I feel like that's the hardest part to work on yeah for sure, mental is definitely.
Speaker 4:The mental side is hard because it's not something you can physically see that you can chase right. So if there's something that you're physically doing wrong, then it's easy to say, hey, this is what you did wrong, this is what you need to do. If it's mental, then it's tough because it's like what's mentally making you not be as good? You have to find what that trigger is. There's lots of things that you have to come up with to be able to find what the root of the problem is, so it makes it a lot tougher.
Speaker 1:I think the mental aspect is more abstract than the physical is Because the physical, you can kind of make that pretty much black and white Go faster, drive in faster, stop faster. You know, whatever it is, that can be black and white, but, like you said, mentally there's different triggers that are not always the same and they're more complex, let's say, than the physical parts of it 100%.
Speaker 4:I would definitely agree with that. There's a lot more that goes into figuring out that side of it than there is on the physical side, because if somebody's out of shape, it's easy to say dude, you retired after five minutes, so you probably need to go work on your physical and shapeness right. Or, like you said, if you're not, if you're breaking too early for a turn. I can see that you're breaking too early for a turn and I can tell you hey, you need to go another five feet so that you can make this turn faster. Those are easy to point out, though. Like I can physically show you exactly what's going on, I can take a video of it, point out exactly what's going on. I can't do that with mental issues.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 1:So, All right, well, do you want to? I definitely want to get into the whole coaching thing and what we're doing, but do you? You uh think we should probably get uh brent on now. I don't want to keep him waiting. Uh, he's been gracious enough to kind of agree to do this on short notice and, you know, I definitely want to have him on here and talk to him and pick his brain about his career and and stuff like that. So, uh, should we just give him a call now?
Speaker 4:yeah, yep, let's do it. I already uh, already gave him a warning, okay that's good, all right, so here we go.
Speaker 1:This will be the second time that I'm doing this, devon, I'll lose you for a second and then, hopefully, when everything comes back on, we should be good to go. So, yep, devon, hold on, hold on, face id is gonna screw me now.
Speaker 2:All right, keypad don't say the numbers out loud?
Speaker 1:I'm not saying the numbers out loud, I don't want to dox him on the thumb throttle well, he'd probably be safe. Alright, here we go. Devin is now on hold. We're calling Brent.
Speaker 2:It's ringing.
Speaker 1:The phone is ringing. Shut up, brent. Hey, it's John and Colton Yankovic from the Thumb Throttle Podcast. How you doing, man, you there? Can you hear me? Yeah, I can hear you, okay. Okay, you got to bear with me for a second. This is the first time we've ever done a three-way call on the show, so I've been. My anxiety is at like not an all-time high, but it's pretty high, just making sure I don't screw this up. So I think Devin's back on here as well. Devin, I'm here, okay, devin, I'm here, okay.
Speaker 4:My kid was trying to ask me how to use the stationary bike. That's an everyday thing here too. Yeah, he was like I went under your profile but it doesn't show anything. I had to show him how to pick what locations you can use.
Speaker 1:Oh, maybe he just outed you, Devin. Maybe you haven't been using it as much as you thought you were. I think I use it plenty. Mine's got dust on it, I can tell you that Mine is actually sitting in the barn right now, so I have zero room to talk.
Speaker 4:Mine actually needs clean because I have like sweat spots and stuff all over from the other day when I was using it. So I have proof that I do use it so, brent, welcome to the show.
Speaker 1:Um, you know, I was talking to devin today and we were trying to talk about other guests that we could have on and he brought your name up and I was like, man, that'd be really cool to have a guy that has been around and seen a lot of stuff and kind of pick his brain and and just talk about, you know some of the older races and then you know what you're doing now if, if I'm not mistaken, uh, you are now a team owner that fields Brandon Owens. Is that accurate in saying that?
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's the way we kind of went into this middle of the year as a surprise. We'll get into that a little bit later, I guess. But yeah, that's the current situation. Didn't ever think that was going to occur this year, but things happen for a reason and, like I said, we'll probably hit on that just a little bit later.
Speaker 1:Awesome. So let me what is more nerve wracking being a team owner or a racer.
Speaker 3:Realistically, it's about the same. The heart rate goes up on the starting line just if I was lining up. That doesn't change a bit. Uh, it's nerve-wracking because you know my hands are on the quad. Uh, you know I'm the one doing the wrenching and and we're making sure this thing's finishing races. So it's a nail-biter for me. You know every, every turn, trying to see where he's at or if everything's holding up, or I have 150 confidence in the rider. So it's just, you know, making sure my end of the deal holds up.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I can, I can definitely, um, I can definitely commiserate with you on that, because it's like I'm more anxious, I think, at times than Colton is, because, um, as he's riding like he's in control of everything, like everything that I've done is completely out of my control, like right now. So it's like I got to trust in what I did and I'll be honest with you, I don't have the experience you do, so my trust in myself isn't always as high as probably yours is. Uh, so we're just, we're just going by on a wing and a prayer here, and so far it's been holding up for us.
Speaker 3:Well, that happens. You know, still, I'm always hey, did I do this? Or hey, did I remember to do this? And I know I did, because I've did it a hundred times, double checking everything. But it's still. You know, your mind starts playing those games with you and that's the nerve-wracking part of what we're doing now, for sure yeah, I, I remember last year I think it was last year we were running um oh yeah no, it was the year before I know we were
Speaker 1:running the awork series and we were doing gncc, a few here and there and, uh, a couple new east coasts, and Colton was in the points race for his class that year and, like this was our second year in, so like I'm stressing out about everything, like I got a kid that's doing fairly good, um, and you know, I'm, I'm, I'm new to all this, like I'm, I'm very mechanically inclined, but as far as racing four wheelers goes, I was about as green as you can get. So like I was stressing out about everything and usually we had a routine that we went through and I broke the routine and I didn't change tires the night before, I didn't rotate tires, um, so we waited to do that the day of the race. So we get there. I believe it was at the BFR range.
Speaker 1:Uh, we get up there, we do the tires, I do everything else, I get out of my routine, colton gets out, he gets a huge lead and then third lap comes by and I see the second place kid and I don't see Colton. Uh, and I'm waiting and I'm waiting. And, long story short, was I forgot to put gas in the bike? Uh, luckily enough, he had enough wherewithal to throw it in reserve, get off the track, go back to the trailer, fuel up, get back on the track where he left and still managed to come in second place. So he never lets me live that one down or forget it nope, yeah, that gas is pretty important for sure.
Speaker 3:So yeah, we did that. Uh, it's been a couple years ago. I did that to my dad when I was racing mountain state full time and uh, you know, I stopped for end it. When I saw him at the end of the first lap I'm like, did you put gas in this thing? Because I didn't remember him doing it. I didn't do it and of course he did it, you know. So, uh, he was yelling at me like go, go, you're, you're dumb for even questioning me. But I did. So, you know it, it happens for sure.
Speaker 1:So what's? What's the last race that you've? You've ran either local or gncc.
Speaker 3:Well, let's do both, uh I ran, uh, the cj what I would we call the cj raceway nationals buckwheat. Uh, last year I ran uh, I just ended up signing up for xc1 pro track that I've been at forever. We used to test uh, I was cany in there when I was back on cany, so I've known the track really well no, I know the jennings family real well and and uh, so I was like I'll just go sign up for that. I think I ended up like 13th overall or something way out of shape, but went out and had some fun. We got to ride with some guys I hadn't rode with in a long time and and just went out and finished the race.
Speaker 3:Uh, then we went a couple weeks after that to a local for the mountain state hair scramble race. Um, ronnie rush was there, uh, kind of just battling along with him and and something happened uh with the bike and threw me off of it and end up hitting a tree and dislocating my elbow, and that's kind of when I'm like you know what things are gonna have to probably start slowing down here. I'm 39 years old and it's just I'm not healing up the way I used to. I can't do it all the time. So the mind says yes, the body says absolutely not no, I heard that I uh.
Speaker 1:So when Colton started doing this, I got the bright idea. So I'm I'm 45 now, so at the time I believe I was 43, um, which, for everybody out there listening, is the absolute perfect time to get into cross country ATV racing Don't let anybody tell you wrong, or any differently. Um, I've always been kind of the guy that was able to jump on things and I was very, you know, aware of my surroundings. So I thought, man, this is, this is going to be great. I'm going to go out there. Nobody knows who I am. I'm going to get on the podium.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that lasted about 40 seconds into that race and I thought what in the hell did I get myself into? After after a minute and a half, I was like, how can I not even hold onto this bike, Like, literally, the bike wants to leave. I'm not going anywhere. It was, and I don't even know that I made two hours. Um, I've, I mean, I finished the race, but I was nowhere near on pace to get through before the the uh, the pros did. And, man, I hurt for like two weeks after that and I was very, very abruptly brought back to the real world and my, my abilities as a man.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's what I wish. I wish the normal person that says, oh, you're just on there riding that thing, how hard can it be? You know just, it is one of the toughest sports to honestly do, for sure. So, uh, you know, I'm the normal person thinks it's that they can go out and do it. And then they, they actually do it and they're like wait a second, I uh, I was uh, I was sadly mistaken a little bit here, like the, the easiest thing, like just pushing a thumb, throttle you.
Speaker 1:You don't even think that there is going to be a point in the next two hours that I'm physically not going to be able to push this little lever, no matter how hard I try. And that happens sooner than later, and it's just, it's very humbling, I'll say that.
Speaker 3:I guarantee it's happened to every one of us Devin, and everybody can attest to that. You get tired so you want to pull on a thing. You want to kind of roll your hand out, so you're pulling on it, trying to give your thumb a break. Everybody's done it, for sure, everybody that's definitely raced knows that feeling.
Speaker 4:I have literally stopped in the middle of a race before and turned my throttle in a different direction to try to make it easier for me to grab it in some other form to get around the track, which I probably will be doing this weekend because I've not been racing. So even though I've been working out and I've rode at the house and stuff some, it's never the same as when you're actually trying to run race pace. So I probably will be filling it this weekend and I may or may not have that problem during the race.
Speaker 3:You'll work through it. Just keep riding, son. That's what I keep saying.
Speaker 4:That's what I tell my dad all the time. I said people can say anything they want to about me, but I never quit.
Speaker 3:Never quit.
Speaker 4:I'll do whatever I have to to get to the finish. I've pushed them, I've changed stuff on the bike. Heck, I rode three wheels once to the finish. I broke a swing arm bolt once and kept coming outside to keep kicking it back in with my foot. All kinds of stuff.
Speaker 1:So I don't quit, though I will say that even if I get tired or something I'll, I'll just keep going. Yep, for sure that's. That's one of the things that I always put into my head. Like my, my expectations go way down after, after the 10 second flags raised, Um, so it usually ends up as I just have to finish. I got to see the checkered flag. No matter how long it takes, I'm going to do it. And sometimes that is the hardest thing for me to do, because it's like after lap one you're like God, it'd just be so easy to just pull over and stop. But I got to keep going. But the one thing that kind of plays in the back of my head too is like I've got two back surgeries. So it's like, okay, you got to put your ego in check here, because I can say I finished this, but nobody at work is really going to care that I finished the race um come Monday when I can't do anything.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's, that's the boat I'm in right now. Same situation.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's that's. That's a hard one to get over, but yeah, I'll look at it too. Like you know, it's just going out there and having fun and you do what you can do. And you know, in my state, in my situation, I'm not going to jeopardize anything else. I'm just going to go out there and have fun and I'm going to get it to the end, so good time.
Speaker 3:That's the main thing. Finish the race.
Speaker 4:I'm probably at a point where I should think about stuff like that too, but I just you're not quite there yet.
Speaker 3:You're not quite there yet.
Speaker 4:Devin give it a few years. I was just meaning, cause I got the kids, I got the bills that come in every month. They don't stop coming in just cause I'm hurt or whatever. But I'm still at a point too where I'm like, ah, I'm not, uh, I'm not ready to back down just because of that. Right, so we'll figure it out afterwards, I guess.
Speaker 3:That's what usually us racers do. Really well, figure it out afterwards.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we're a real responsible bunch.
Speaker 4:Yeah, for sure, didn't think about that. Well now you did Surprise didn't think about that.
Speaker 1:Well, now you did surprise. So so, brent, take us back to the days where you were riding and there was factory teams because, like for us and you know a lot of people that are, you know, somewhat new to racing now, and I say new within, say, the last five, eight years uh, there's not the factory support, there's not, you know, can am's not fielding a team I mean, can am doesn't even have a horse in the race and the XC ones right now, um, so, you know, take us back to, like the heyday, where it was. You know you had factory teams and what that was like, because I have, no, I no concept of what that was like, other than watching, like the old races, and you know it's better to get a a firsthand, uh, account of that from somebody that's been there. They've done that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's uh, uh, it was definitely a different time, for sure. Uh, we could, we could sense it coming. Uh, you know, you know, bill balance uh was getting some help, uh, before any of us were, and you know, and yokely was on his kawasaki stuff that was, you know, kind of a hybrid situation and then went into the production stuff. So that's how it first started coming in into the game and we could sense it was coming. Since it was coming, and you know, suzuki picked up Borich, and so I got a phone call in late 2007 from a team out in California Said, hey, we want you to ride for us next year. And I'm like, yeah, it blew me away. I'm like me, you know, this is really happening.
Speaker 3:And uh, so we kind of ironed out a little bit of a contract, um, and we were supposed to ride Honda, this is what we were supposed to ride. And then Canyon came into the game. Uh, so about, excuse me, about, um, I don't know, probably November or so of that year, of the offseason, the Canaan deal came into play with them. We were kind of a satellite team and I said, yeah, sure, I'm up for it, went and picked one up at a local dealer and got to riding it some, and so then KTM was in it as well, with McGill and Kaiser, and you know, all of us were starting to the top 10, 12 guys. We were pretty much on factory stuff, which was just pretty crazy to me of what was going on, and it just kept getting a little bit better.
Speaker 3:So the next year I was actually on Warner at K&M. The actual K&M team had a full mechanic and a full team ride and you know the full fledged everything, just like you see with a supercross race or something like that. So, uh, that's the thing that. That that I miss seeing at the races more than anything was our. Our rigs were there with our big tens, just like the motorcycle guys still kind of have now, uh, but with four winners under them. So, uh, it was definitely a different, a different time for sure, uh. And it was definitely a different for a, for a boy from west virginia, uh, getting a full-time ride, trying to deal with, you know, conference calls and team meetings and and and what we had to do on that aspect of stuff too now when you were riding the factory bikes, were they?
Speaker 1:were they like the factory bikes that you know they run in supercross? Now, where it's like this factory bike, although it says can-am on it and you can go out and buy something that looks similar to it but is nothing like it is, is that kind of how it was, or had it not progressed to that point yet?
Speaker 3:I'm not really. I mean. So we were, we were running, we were running computers on them that were tuned by can-am that you couldn't really get. Um, you know, my dad had came up with a bunch of products for the can-am that that actually can amused until they quit racing. Uh, you know we came up some head design stuff and some stuff one-off stuff like that, but it was pretty much the base bike. You know we had Hauser components, shocks on, the first year was Axis, the second year was Fox. You know that kind of stuff. But realistically, frame, engine, swing, arm, that kind of stuff was all factory, so it wasn't too much. It's basically what it is today, what you see today. You know with how we build them today for sure, basically the same thing.
Speaker 1:Now, that was the correct me. If I'm wrong, that was the DS450?.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the DS450. Okay, yep, I remember. Yeah, it was a different bike, for sure, to tell you a little secret about it, it was supposed to be a two-stroke quad, uh. And then when the missions and stuff came, yeah, when the mission stuff came in, rotax built a four-stroke for it. So that's, I was telling you a little bit earlier cjs, we had the guy, a couple guys from rotax and and a couple of the main can-am guys come in and we're I had computers hooked to me, I had all kinds of stuff. We we were just testing different things to see what was going to make it better, and we had a local race that next day. So they stayed and we raced it and see how much better it was.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's pretty cool. I remember about that time I was working for Gander Mountain. There's probably only a few people even remember what gander mountain is. They're no longer around but they were a sporting goods store and it might have been before 14, but we sold arctic cats and then they started selling the uh, the brp products and I remember they had a ds650 there and one of my jobs there was, you know, bring the bikes in after, you know, after the store closed and it was at a mall and you know you'd kind of ride them around back. Well, I got on that 650 and just opened that thing up and it was by far the scariest, most powerful bike that I've ever been on in my life up to that point. And I remember thinking like what kind of psychopath races these things Like? You can't even hold on to the thing. It was like third gear and I was just looking straight up in the air.
Speaker 3:Yep, yep, they had the worst power. And same thing goes with their, with their new utility bikes. Those things are scary fast. You know, my brother raced a can-am um four-wheel drive through our satellite team the first year and I think they were 800s back then and they were still. I tried riding one and I was. I was in the bushes all the time because it had to. I was going so fast I couldn't slow the thing down. So uh, that's why I never really got into four-wheel drive stuff. I thought about it. I'm like you know what?
Speaker 1:no, that's not for me, that's not for me, although the the the comfort factor of it kind of intrigues me, being at the age I'm at right now, um, but I know what it costs to put one of these just two-wheel drive race bikes on and that kind of keeps me sitting on the sidelines kind of cheering them guys on and not doing it myself.
Speaker 3:Yeah those guys up front right now are crazy too. They're riding at some speeds. It's just it's unheard of on those big things. So yeah, it's fun to watch those guys.
Speaker 1:For sure, it's definitely fun to watch this guy yeah, it is so, other other than the can-M, you've been a Honda guy pretty much the whole time, right?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so Honda when I started. So I actually started racing in 2001 in a local series here in West Virginia. I was on a hybrid well, you should say 88 250R stock chassis with a 250X Banzai racing engine in it. It was just stock suspension. That's why I didn't race in my C-Class year. And then we went to 400Xs, of course, and then when the first 450Rs came out, 04 switched over to that.
Speaker 3:I was on Honda ever up until the K&M days and then. So 08 and 09 were my K&M uh sponsorship days went to 2010, back on a Honda uh, tried to put our own program together, end up getting hurt and having a few things go on that year and that's pretty much the end of my career, other than I did a little bit, you know, here and there, and then I did a full season of 14 to try to come back. But yeah, that was all on Honda Um, and then we we switched over to the yamaha at the locals and in 2020 and racing that, you know a few nationals here and there on the yamaha and that's what I've been on since so you're not.
Speaker 1:You're not a? Uh, I'm gonna die on the honda hill like one of our, our friends of the show, mr mcgill.
Speaker 3:Then, yeah, uh, me and him go way back to, so he and we, you know, don't let him fool you, he's been on can-am, I've seen him race polaris. So, uh, you know, you know it's it is, it's, it's a comfort thing for us. I think, uh, we have a little bit of an old school way of riding, so the honda actually fits me better still, uh, for the way I corner and that kind of stuff, the Yamaha is so much easier on my body to ride and there's so many parts out there available that it just makes sense If I'm going to do it. That's what I, you know, that's what I got to build.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I always joke with him because I got some blackmail photos. If he ever crosses me then I'm going to leak out on Facebook and Instagram of him.
Speaker 4:You got some of those photos with his little hookah shells and his dyed tips on his hair.
Speaker 1:No, it's even worse than that, I think.
Speaker 3:I know the one you're talking about. I kind of have nightmares at night.
Speaker 1:I think there's one picture I can't get out of my brain that his mom posted. I was like I think I texted him like really dude yeah, there's something wrong with that guy we've we've known that for years.
Speaker 3:We've known that for years yeah me and him go way back. I mean when I started, I think he started at two row three, uh, so we raced every stinking weekend, sometimes twice a weekend, uh, together, uh, beating and banging on each other. We wanted to kill each other a few times. Uh, my brother and his sister were married so we had family dinner. Sometimes it was awkward. So we go, we go way back and uh, you know, it's, uh, it's, it's been interesting, to say the least. Let's just put it that way.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he's an interesting character. He was actually the first pro that we met, uh, when we we started this whole thing and you know we were lucky enough to have him get a couple of classes with Colton.
Speaker 2:No, not a couple One.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, one couple classes with colton. No, not a couple one. Yeah, yeah one. He'd always text me and we'd be trying to get to like a class going. He'd be like hey man, I'm free tonight. Like what do you think? I'm like adam, it's like I'm working day shift, like you're two hours away from me by the time I get there at seven and it just never, ever materialized. So I just pretty much give him shit every time I see him and, you know, go from there yeah, for sure.
Speaker 3:Yeah, he's diehard. Honda always will be, you know, uh, and that's okay. You know it works for him and good for him, you know, continuing to do what he's, you know, because age is not on his side either and and to do what he's doing right now. He's putting in a lot of work, uh, to get where he's at. So, you know, cause age is not on his side either, and and to do what he's doing right now is he's putting in a lot of work, uh, to get where he's at. So, you know, good on him. Um, uh, that's good for him for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. But I mean enough about him. We can do another show with him.
Speaker 3:This one, this one's about you.
Speaker 4:He talks I don't talk too much anyways, and he's overrated, so and if you want to send that clip to him, and uh, or you can send it to me and I'll send it to him.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you can just. You can just take it. Yeah, I can, I'll do so. We'll make sure that it gets to him for sure I'd speak.
Speaker 3:I need to tell him though. Uh, so we were at indiana. I'm gonna tell this real quick. We were at indiana, you know, a couple weeks ago, and I was out in the middle of the woods a couple different places, and every time I see him he was flipping me the bird, and I'm gonna tell him if he wasn't flipping me the bird, he might have got third place.
Speaker 4:You know, you know it's funny you say that because a couple of the races I've ran with him and like in the last couple years we we've hit like one 80 spots and stuff on the track. This asshole's flipping me off.
Speaker 1:Yeah for sure. And then, and then, like at the end of the race he'll, he'll go over his race recap and he'll be like, yeah, you know I could have had it there, but you know there's a couple of times I had to stop and you know, give Devin a hand, and you know stiff like that. So then he puts it back on you that you know the reason he didn't finish higher is because he was flipping you the bird 18 times during the race I sent him my coaching link, so that way I could give him some riding lessons there you go, there you go he hasn't.
Speaker 4:He hasn't reached out yet.
Speaker 3:So I don't know what the deal is there.
Speaker 4:No, I like to. I like to give him a hard time. It's a little bit different for me too than some people, because, like I've, I've grown up around bren, I've grown up around adam, all of those guys, so like. For me, growing up it was, it was normal, like I, just I saw these guys every week and then yeah, devin was.
Speaker 3:You were probably what? Five, six, seven years old, running around at the races and his dad was actually racing against us at the local, you know, local pro class and and we were doing all the same races, you know, like I said, two times, a few times a weekend for sure, just trying and trying and trying to get to the top, you know, and and yeah, we kind of made it around the same time and and and his, his, his, he went one way and I went the other, and that's just how it transpired. So that's the way life goes, yeah.
Speaker 1:I always say life is full of seasons and you got to welcome those seasons with open arms because it's just like nature. The season won't stop and ask you if you're ready for it. The season won't stop and ask you if you're ready for it. It'll just. It'll be there and you either adapt to it and and welcome it, or you're just one of those guys throwing a football saying I could have made it.
Speaker 4:Yep, that's where I'm at right now. I'm trying not to be the guy. I'm trying not to be the guy that looks back and says I could have made it. Um, that's what I'm trying not to be the guy that looks back and says I could have made it Uncle.
Speaker 1:Rico.
Speaker 4:That's why I'm trying to come up with all these side hustles and stuff. What?
Speaker 3:people don't tell you is. Getting to the top is really super hard, of course you know what I mean. But once you get there and you're competing for wins or competing for top fives every week, the problem is on the way back down. You know, that's what was hardest for me, because you work so hard to get there and then you just fall off. Everybody forgets you, nobody knows who you are, which is fine by me. I don't want any of that. You know I never did. But that was kind of the hardest part was watching everybody just kind of like you know, cause we got? We got Chris Borch out there right now still racing winning his ATV racer of all time, you know and and nobody's really given him the time of day which they should be, because you know he was one of the most talented riders to ever even throw a leg over a quad, for sure.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I don't know, you were pretty, you were pretty talented.
Speaker 3:You know I was, know I was decent, let's just put it that way. I was never the best. Is there a few things I could have done a little bit different, probably so you know, but you live and you learn and hopefully that's what I'm. You know, with this brain, no one's deal that's. You know, he's got probably the most natural talent I've ever seen out of anybody in my entire life Just throw a leg over it and go and not even flinch and just know how to do something. So if I can kind of help him along the way and steer him in the right direction and not make the mistakes maybe I did or somebody else has done or some of that stuff, maybe get him up there where he needs to be.
Speaker 4:Yeah, for sure. I'll tell you this. My dad has always told me that of anybody he's ever seen ride, he's never seen anybody take a turn. As good as you.
Speaker 3:Well, he hasn't seen me turn in the Yamaha yet. I struggle a little bit with the Yamaha cornering, but you know our setups with the Yamaha cornering. But you know our setups on the Hondas really worked and I was really comfortable on them. And that's the name of the game If you can get comfortable on a quad, then you're going to be pretty fast. So if you're always uncomfortable and looking for this setting or looking for that setting, then you might want to think about switching to another quad or trying some different things, because you have to get that comfort, comfort on the bike to go fast.
Speaker 1:That's just all there is to it you got to have trust in the bike pretty much absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know what that bike's going to do in this corner or on, you see it. You see a water break up there, you see it. You know a braking bump or something. You know exactly what that quad's going to do and you know how to react that way.
Speaker 4:I'm usually at least 40% sure that my stuff's going to work. If I can get 40%, we'll call that a win. We'll get from there, See.
Speaker 1:I look at it completely different. I see that and I'm like 40 sure that I'm gonna survive it. Um, I'm not to the point of like really being too concerned what's gonna happen with the bike. It's more like just what's gonna happen to me, uh, so yeah, I got a little bit of ways to go well, like.
Speaker 4:So, like what brent's saying, like if you don't trust your bike, then you're not going to run the same speed as somebody that does. Um, there's times that I find myself out there that I know my stuff doesn't work as good, but I know the guy in front of me is going to hit something. So I either back off and I'll lose time or I just have to adapt and hit it differently to try to keep that same amount of speed. Because at the end of the day, if I give up a couple seconds every time, I feel like my stuff's not going to work the same as somebody else's, then that adds up over the whole course of the lap. Right? Yeah for sure, there's definitely truth to that, because if you can trust your stuff, you can hit it harder. But then there's the other side of that too, where it's like well, I know my stuff's not going to work as good. So this is this is what I'm going to do to try to adapt for that and just kind of make it work.
Speaker 1:I think where I'm at and I asked a couple of guys this and I'm going to ask you the same thing, brent Like I'm to the point now where I don't trust my reaction because my reaction time isn't what it used to be. And now I'm starting to notice that and that's like in the back of my head that what I used to see happening in real time, I perceived in slow motion but I was able to react to it in real time. I don't have that now, but back when you were, you were racing the factory teams and that stuff did you. It's hard to put into words, but to like just kind of phrase it like that that were you able to process things faster and react to them faster than real time was.
Speaker 3:If that makes any sense. Yeah, so I call it speed vision. You know what I mean? That's exactly what I call it. I call it speed vision, so for sure.
Speaker 3:And at that point in time, when I was younger, there wasn't anything in the back of my head saying what's going to happen. You know what? What if I hit it this way? That happens when you get a little bit older and that's, you know. That's why you see all all the pro guys, you know, start slowing down a little bit. You know we hit things a little bit different because we know so, back when we were younger, we didn't care, we were strapping on the helmet and we were wide open. So it's a completely different ballgame.
Speaker 3:But, yes, that's what I call my speed vision and I got to practice a little bit with Brandon Owens it's been a few weeks back when we built his new bike and that's the first time I've been on one since October, so it had been about six months and I had zero speed vision. Uh, my corner speed was way off, uh, that kind of stuff, you know it. And realistically, mine usually comes back after a race or two. I can get that speed vision back a little bit. Um, but the older I get, the more it doesn't come back. So there's gonna be a day in time where you know you're just never going to be as fast as you ever, you know, as you once were. So um, it happens. It happens to everybody. You know you can look at supercross into stuff. You can look at, you know, atv motocross and you can look at, you know cross country stuff.
Speaker 1:Same way yeah, well, I I can say that I will never be. I'm as fast as I ever was, because I never really had that heyday. So I'm kind of good with where I'm at right now, I guess, although my brain thinks I should go faster but my body says I shouldn't. And then I get ragged on by this one over here that keeps You're talking about speed, vision, and he's just smiling and I'm like one of these days you're gonna get it yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:So that's the problem with me right now. You know my mind saying hey, you need to go win races because I'm ultra competitive. Every time I strap on a helmet it's win a race. I don't care, you know that's, that's the goal win a race. And and the body just is not keeping up with your mind right now. So you know, I've got a, I'm down in the back. That's how this all started with brandon owens and my bike. We'll get to that story here in a second. And and uh, I've got an mri next thursday to see what's going on and that's how we'll play it out. I definitely want to do a few more races. I don't really want to say I'm done, done. You know I'd love to do a few more, but we'll have to wait and see what this mri says on my back to uh to really make a decision yeah, that's one thing I've I've learned from having a back injury is you.
Speaker 1:You gotta give it time because there's gonna come a time and if you've been through this already, you know exactly what I'm talking about. You're going to feel like you're able to do it, but you're really not. You can't be that 20-year-old kid that just says, well, it's going to hurt, but I'll heal. The best piece of advice I can give you is if you feel good, just keep waiting a little bit, because you're not good yet. Uh, that kind of slapped me in the face and kind of set me back a little bit.
Speaker 4:Back injuries suck too, because they're it's a such a crucial part of being able to do everything right.
Speaker 4:So like I. So I fractured my s vertebrae and they didn't catch it when they did x-rays and stuff and I kept having problems with it. So when I would race and stuff my back would hurt and then it would get tired and I wouldn't be able to run the same speed as what I did. And it took five years of me going to the hospital or not the hospital, but the doctors and saying there's something wrong. You're telling me it's muscle spasms and stuff like that and you're giving me stuff for that to try to help that I'm still having the same issues. So I was like that's not what it is, but it took five years to figure out that, uh, I'd actually fractured my vertebrae and that it just wasn't bright anymore and it wasn't going to be so.
Speaker 4:But the good news was is after knowing that, then you're able to kind of adjust things to improve your situation. I guess is the best way to put it. So it's never 100 correct, but you can get it pretty close. Like we've. I've done a lot of different exercises and stuff like that to try to help out with it and make it better, and I don't have as many problems now as what I did so, like I can actually make it to a race without my back hurting and different things. But they had to find the problem first and it took forever to find it. So actually nothing to mess with, for sure, and they're just. They're not as easy as just looking at it and saying, hey, here's your problem. So, yeah, hopefully they get you fixed back up so you can get back out on the track with us well, you know, we'll see.
Speaker 3:We'll see what they say. You know, if they tell me you know, hey, it's not a good idea, then I'm okay with it right now because, like I said, I've been having a blast these last couple of weeks. Uh, never thought I'd have this much fun not racing but uh, it's really brought some fun back in it for me and and I I've been taking my oldest daughter with me to to some of the gcc races and she never really got to go too much. She was little and 14, she was only three years old, two years old. So, uh, you know, now she she's old enough where she kind of sees what I was doing and she enjoys it and we get to enjoy a little bit together of what I've done my whole life.
Speaker 1:So it's, but it's put it, it's come back full circle already, so I'm pretty happy with that yeah, that's one of the greatest things is, you know, just seeing, like taking a kid, and seeing the enjoyment they get out of it.
Speaker 1:You know, there's you know, 15 years ago I never thought, you know I'd be, I'd, I'd enjoy something so much that I didn't participate in for somebody else, so much that I didn't participate in for somebody else. Um, but like right now I look back at it and it's like, you know, I don't really do anything for myself now it's like it's all about, you know, the race team and you know, making sure Colton has everything he needs. And you know, instead of me buying, you know, fishing rods or stuff and guns, it's. You know, I got to get a new set of sprockets. I got to make sure I get an extra crank. I need to make sure that I have this and I have that.
Speaker 1:And like, I love it, like it's the greatest thing for me, like I get so much enjoyment just going to the races. You know watching him do what he loves to do and getting better at it. And you know just looking at it and saying, well, you know we had a bad race this week, but we'll regroup. And you know, he, he, he puts the work in and then the next week it's better, it's, it's, it's one of the greatest feelings ever that I just never thought I would ever be in that position. But now that we're here I just love it and it kind of takes the edge off of not being able to compete. Not that I'm not able to compete, it's just I have as much fun if not more fun watching him compete than if I was out there.
Speaker 3:Yep, I'm getting the same enjoyment Knowing that that's something that I've put together. It's winning races or running up front or helping somebody along. We've got a bunch of guys at our shop that we're helping out some, so it's a lot of fun. It's that you know that we're helping out some and so it's a lot of fun. So it's hectic at times for sure, like tonight. The rest of the tonight and tomorrow evening and Friday morning will be before the national starts, so you know it's crunch time for sure.
Speaker 1:So how many? How many you're fielding Brandon full time. So how many you're fielding Brandon?
Speaker 3:full-time. So how many? Yeah, so that that deal is. That deal is a. It's a deal. So my brother, my dad and they, they really started this sort of power sports thing and then you know, I'm helping them for sure and involved in it. I have a full-time day job for the state of West Virginia and I have a small car lot that I still own. So I dabble in a lot of things and then I'm at the shop all the time too. But that's a deal between me and my brother and my dad, brandon Owens, his mom and dad, and then some sponsors. We got to help us out along the way. So it's not just a me thing, dornan, it's a full team effort that we kind of joined together and said hey you know, let's put this thing together and let's get rid of some races, it takes an army, right?
Speaker 3:Oh, absolutely, absolutely. You know he had his mom and his girlfriend and sister there the last race for pit-wise and she does a lot of things for him for sponsorship-wise and getting parts, and he still does have a few sponsors of his own. I brought in some of our sponsors in to help him and some of the products that I've ran forever and some people that I know to kind of throw that deal together. It happened in a mere two weeks, realistically, from me not even racing, not even talking to Brandon Owens, to him riding my stuff. So it was the weirdest two weeks of my life and you know it's been. It's been adventuresome, that's for sure. But you know I think we're going to go places for sure. The kid doesn't need any, uh, doesn't need any help from me really, but you know for me to help him makes me feel good a little bit, but he's, he's ultra talented. Uh, we just need a little luck and a little, a little, uh, a little more time on our side to get things rolling good yeah, there's always growing things right oh, absolutely that's
Speaker 1:what we always say it's a marathon, not a sprint yep, yep, and uh, you know, I met.
Speaker 3:I met. I'll go ahead and go into this but I met brandon probably and I don't know, devin, you might remember this back when, uh, he would come to some of the mountain states and he was running college A. He was probably 16 years old. He's 21 now, so he's probably 18 range somewhere. I was out cruising out front in a mountain state race and heard somebody come up behind me and I'm like who the heck is this? And I look back and it's Brandon Owens. He was 16 or 17 years old. So we dropped the hammer and he rode right with me and we rode together and, you know, he never did touch me and he wrote me with respect. He ended up breaking and so after the race I went up and talked to him, introduced myself and, you know, just kind of followed him along.
Speaker 3:For the next few years. He'd come to some of our races again and race me and we'd always talk and joke around and he was always super clean and super nice and, you know, never any issues on the track. Uh, you know, and and I actually had messaged a guy we talked about earlier and I said listen, I know this kid's from your area, dude, this boy's gonna be good. You know, you need to try to help him out a little bit. He said I am, and so he did there for a little bit too. And so this year comes around and I was watching some of the nationals and he wasn't on there. I expected him to be winning the xc2 class for sure. If he's gonna run xc2, I didn't know what class he's gonna sign up for, nothing, not even on the results.
Speaker 3:So after georgia, some guys came back in the shop and I asked him like anybody heard out of owens, and they said, yeah, he didn't have a bike ready, this and that and the other. And I called him up. Well, I messaged him on facebook and I said hey, buddy, you know why aren't you out there? And he kind of gave me the spill we don't have anything ready yet and I don't have time and he's working a bunch and he wants to race. And I said, well, mine's open mountain state hair scrambles this weekend if you want to come ride it.
Speaker 3:And he came and jumped on my quad. I'm 220 well, 215 pounds now'3" and he's probably 5'10" and 140 pounds, soaking wet. I'm like I don't know how this bike's going to handle for you. Go out and have some fun. And he went out and rode and won the race and he had a blast and things just transpired from there. I'm like, man, if you want to put some stuff together, I'm willing to help you out if we can get things going. And he kept riding my stuff for a couple races and he had a bike down there but didn't have any parts. So I got some parts in, he got some parts in, and we put it together and here we are.
Speaker 4:That's pretty, Pretty cool. I was. I was pretty excited because I know I talked to Brandon and we were kind of like in the same boat, like neither one of us were Planning on doing too much racing and stuff, because nobody had anything ready. And then I saw him riding your bike and I was like oh man. And I messaged him after he won the race and I was like how'd it go? He's like it wasn't, wasn't bad, so. And then I saw him at the national and stuff and I was like all right, this is cool, At least he's back out on the track.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that was. The main goal is getting him back out there. He's had a couple of rough years, just some bad finishes and things going on, and I know how that feeling is. I've been there, done that. So I told him when we put this thing together. I said, listen, we're going to go out, we have no expectations, there's nothing to worry about, you're not in any points race, so let's go out and have some fun, try to win some races and the main thing is just have some fun. Put the fun back in it. I know you can ride the quad. I'll put one together and see what we can come up with In Indiana know, top five or six overall in the first lap ended up seventh overall for the day in P1 and XC2, which we know that's where he should be.
Speaker 3:You know that's just where he is. He's a top three to six seven guy in the nation all day long. Just needs to show it every weekend. And we're coming up on one of his favorite tracks this weekend. And he is coming off on a of his favorite tracks this weekend. And he is coming off on a little bit of an injury we had. Uh, we ran the new east coast last weekend uh, next to us here in buchanan and ended up. He was second, moved into second and he clipped the rock with the front end of my bike. He was riding my quad again and it threw it out, threw him off of it and and stoved him up pretty good. But I think he's gonna be limbered up enough where we're gonna be okay yeah, he's still young, he bounces yeah, if that'd be me, he'd see me in two months, you know.
Speaker 3:So a week later he's.
Speaker 1:He's ready to roll, you know so yeah, if it was me, there'd be a cross by that tree right now.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's, uh, it bent the frame and a armsarms and laying on top of him and just something that you don't want to happen but will happen from time to time just a rock in the middle of the tracks that you know wasn't exposed per se because of the mud and it just it has happened, so nobody's fault, just an accident, and we'll move on and put a frame on my bike and go at it again in a couple weeks now was he riding your bike at Miller Mountain uh, no, miller mountain was the new race bike.
Speaker 3:Um, we were doing a shakedown on it. So that's actually the, the actual race squad that he was running the miller mountain, that he, he was leading that whole race and, uh, him and harold come in there, steven came in, you know, in that last field section battled it out to the finish and he ended up losing by half a bike length, which was kind of a bummer but kind of put the fire into him a little bit, a little bit. So, uh, that was a very intense race to watch. But, yes, that was the race bike that uh will be at the nationals.
Speaker 4:Yeah, because I I really appreciate you guys coming into the the new east coast series there when I'm already at a disadvantage, to make it even harder for me well, we're just looking for good places to race.
Speaker 3:His home series is like the Wexer and the other series out there. Now Jay is out in Ohio. That's pretty much his home stuff. He would only come over here when he was looking for races To have him come run. My local stuff that everybody knows kind of me and what I've supported since these guys didn't even have a series Richie, and local stuff that everybody knows kind of me and what I've, you know, I've supported for you know, since these guys didn't even have a series. You know, uh, richie, and and, and those guys I've known since they were your age when you were kids, devon, you know what I mean. So I've known them forever. Uh, ronnie paul, uh, I've known him for a long time. He, he had players deals there and I went and test the players was for him way back in the day. We go back good ways too, just being around people that I know and having fun on the weekends.
Speaker 4:Yeah, that's awesome. I just wanted to point that out.
Speaker 3:You haven't been to one yet, have you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, actually.
Speaker 4:I went to CJ and I made like a lap and a half before my hand joint got ripped out of my top A arm, so that was cool.
Speaker 4:But, I went to the first one. I had limited seat time and I hadn't raced any of the nationals or anything. We took off. I was fourth off the line, alan got the whole shot. We took off. I was fourth off the line, alan got the whole shot. Steven was in second and then Zach Phillips me and then Ronnie Rush was behind us somewhere. But Steven hit a tree like not very far off the start and it kind of packed everybody together. So Ronnie ended up passing up to us too. So when it was us out there riding, it was, uh, all of us just kind of riding in a in a line. And I talked to ronnie after the race and he was like, well, what happened to you? And it was like my hind joint got out of my arm. He's like man, I felt like you were running pretty good, and then you just kind of disappeared and I was like, yeah, it's kind of hard to ride when my top a arm is only only half attached to the four-wheelers.
Speaker 4:Yeah, flopping now For sure, yeah, I felt pretty good, but again, I still have not been racing much this year, but I'll run the rest of the New East Coast races, at least to qualify for this year. Ultimately I'm trying to I don't know I'm reaching out to all kinds of people for sponsorships and stuff so I can try to go to a Yamaha for next year. I know I wrote a Yamaha last year but it wasn't. It was never really set up exactly how I wanted it. So I want to build a Yamaha, but build it to fit me and not somebody else and then me trying to make it fit me. So I think, uh, I think that would help because I'll ride anything. I don't really have like a preference as far as that goes, as long as it has a motor moves.
Speaker 4:But I would like to run MC2 next year at the nationals, if I can get the, if I can get everything together and get on a bike that I'm comfortable with.
Speaker 4:Um, don't think that it's a I don't and I don't want to. I don't want to sound arrogant either. Um, I'm not necessarily right now at a pace that I would be able to run HC2 because I'm not racing and riding all the time. But I feel and again, feeling and actually going is two totally different things but I feel if I can get the bike together and I can actually get on a training regimen where I ride a couple times a week or something, so I actually get some seat time instead of just race the race, then I could compete. Uh, I've done it before and I've came like when I ran college a in 2020, I was coming from college a and me and grace and elliott and uh trey, cypher and those guys we were battling for like top 15 overall from college A. That's kind of one of those deals where I'm like, well, if I can do it from college A, there's no reason I can't do it if I put the correct program together from XC2.
Speaker 3:I may not do that well, but that's what I'm shooting for. Well, it's tough, especially with those guys that are riding all the time. Now, that's the difference. Even when I was in the pro class racing all the time to now, our first lap back in the day was kind of learn the track, that kind of thing. We weren't at full race pace. Our first lap back in the day it was more of a sight lap. We were at good pace, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't full pace and that's where that started stepping up. And when Borch was winning all those championships and races, he stepped that ball game up 100%.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and then from there we went to Fowler and he was like he kind of mastered the game of I'm going to try to pull the whole shot and then I'm going to push as hard as I can right from the beginning and just hope that everybody else has issues or something in the beginning of this race, and then I'm just going to manage the gap from there. And then it's like every champion has something that they do a little bit differently.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and Bryson's just a machine, so it's unbelievable to watch that guy ride a quad. I don't physically know how he can go any faster than what he does on a quad.
Speaker 4:Do you think Fowler can beat him at any point this year?
Speaker 3:Fowler is just now at the point where he's starting to see that that age factor come into play. You'll see a little bit of it. You know, fowler is very smart rider and he's always been. You know, I remember when we were in the pro class we were watching the youth races and here's Walker Fowler. We're like man, this kid's going to be good. We don't want him to come up. Then he was running the morning race and he was winning the morning. We were like we don't want this kid to move up. We don't want this kid to move up. Then he moves up and just starts whipping our butts. We knew that was coming. I don't foresee why he couldn't win a race. I'm not taking away anything from Bryson or both extremely good riders and I think they're kind of a league of their own this year. Those two guys are out front and they're kind of the front two runners for sure. But you know, I don't think anything's impossible.
Speaker 4:But Bryson is super duper fast, super fast and Walker's the smart fast my perspective was if anybody nothing against anybody else that's lining up right now, right, they're all super fast if you run, oh yeah, unbelievably fast, unbelievably fast if you run xc1, you're unbelievably fast, right, yeah, but I think the only person that has a chance of straight up beating Bryson is Walker. It's because he has experience and he knows what it takes to do it.
Speaker 3:Now you're going to have your tracks like Snowshoe that's going to be a factor. You're going to have Beckley that's going to be a little bit of a factor these rougher, rockier tracks. That slows down the pace a little bit. Or you have to manage your equipment a little bit more. That's the races. You can see things kind of shake up a little bit, in my opinion, you know. Or if it rains a little bit, you know kind of seeing that a little bit.
Speaker 3:In Indiana there was nothing against Bryson or anything like that. He had a little bit of bad luck for Walker to get as close as he did. But once Walker did, he just played his game and won the race. That's the thing about Walker. He's a super smart kid. I'll call him a kid because he's still a kid in my eyes, but he's super smart, one of the smartest ones you'll see. He's learned from just about everybody. He's learned from Borch. He's learned from Bill Balance, the best in the. He's learned from Borch. He's learned from Bill Balance, you know, the best in the business he's learned from so and he's taken all that into account. So that helps a bunch.
Speaker 3:And Bryson, he's just, he's just an animal. There's just nothing else about it. You know I've raced against Bryson. He's a good kid too. Talked to him a bunch. You know he's just an animal on the machine right now. So that's where it's at and that's why you see Josh Merritt doing better. You know, not taking anything away from Josh, he was kind of stuck in that place and then he upped his program with fitness and this is what it does. You know he goes that next step. You know when somebody else quits and you don't, that's going to make you be a little bit better than what you were. So kudos to Josh Merritt too. He's also a good kid, and seeing him grow up a little bit around the races too. So to watch these guys who I've watched grow up win races, it's pretty crazy.
Speaker 4:I guess I should have rephrased that also. By the way, I know Walker beat Bryson at Indiana. Yeah, I guess I should have rephrased that also. By the way, I didn't. I know walker beat bryson in indiana, but I should have rephrased that in a way of uh, do we see walker beat bryson in decent conditions for a whole race, like bryson had an issue and then the rain came. Walker was playing it pretty smart, um, but like, should we go to Powerline this weekend? I feel like Walker's pretty fast at Powerline based on past races Past races yes, yeah, so say we have a decent race.
Speaker 4:It's probably going to be a little bit muddy, but say it's not super terrible because it's a pretty hard pack there, so it's probably not going to be super sloppy mud, it'll probably just be slick. We see Walker beating when we get into drier conditions, a little more hard-packed tracks, stuff like that.
Speaker 3:Well, you can see his speed's not too far off. We're only talking a few seconds here and a few seconds there. It's the rougher tracks, like the Sandy track track and in South Carolina, and that you know Bryce and his fitness and and his bike stuff and you just you know that's what won him the race for sure. You know it wasn't just totally speed, speed per se, uh, which he's going to extremely fast, is just fitness to go that fast, that long, so uh. But once you get into these races you'll see Walker. You know he long so uh. But once you get into these races you'll see walker. You know he's not very far off the office pace. You know we're only talking a few seconds here, a few seconds there. We're not. You know we're not talking. You know gapping by 30, 40 seconds a lap. So you know walker is his biggest competition for sure. Uh, nothing against those other guys right now. Right now, that's just the way it is, yeah yeah yeah, uh, like you.
Speaker 1:Like you you said too, like as as fast as Bryson is right now and as much of a just a monster on the bike, there will always be somebody else, and it may not happen for five, six, seven more years before we see it, but it always happens. That's just the way life is. There's going to be somebody else that is going to come along and he may never even ride race, bryson, that you're going to look at and go. Man, I remember watching Bryson and thinking nobody, there's nowhere else to go there, there's no other level to get to, and somebody's going to find it.
Speaker 3:Um, yeah, and it's just good you had that with barry hawk to bill balance, bill balance, chris borich, chris borich to walker fowler. And you know bryson's kind of the odd man out, because he wasn't as young as what these other guys were when he started winning races, you know. So he was a little later on in life, so his, you know, we'll see how long he can go with this. You know, because he's he's not as young as well, some of those other guys are too, because I, you know, I've raced against him in the pro class in like 14 and stuff. So he's been around for a little bit. Uh, it's just now everything's starting to click for him and in, but so we'll see kind of see how long his tenure can go. Usually it's about seven years. That's what things have been going, you know, uh, but we'll kind of see, you know, if there's that next step up.
Speaker 3:You know there's a bunch of good kids coming up. You know college a, you know you, look at brody lee, that kid's extremely good. Uh, you know, we got it. We got a boy here locally, talon stout, he's he's, he's also good. You know how far does he go? Uh, we, we used to never know for a couple years. Uh, then you guys got like brandon owens now. That really hasn't shown his full potential. Are these guys going to show their full potential and get there?
Speaker 1:that's the question, and then that's the weird thing is sorry good yeah, I was just going to say that's the weird thing because, like you have walker, who came up through youth, came up through the am race, came up to the xc1 line and was just dominant every step of the way and that's kind of like you don't see that very often, but yet everyone wants to make that the standard, when really the standard is like like look with bryson, like he's been doing this for a while and then it took a while for him to be the the 800 pound gorilla that he is right now like it. I think that's that needs to be said for a lot of the people and kids or just anyone listening to the show. Don't compare yourself to a Walker Fowler, don't compare yourself to a Bryson Neal, because those are very exceptional riders.
Speaker 1:I'm not saying that you can't be an exceptional rider, and Bryson is a perfect example of that. You know he made himself into that next level elite. He always had the speed, he always had that, but it takes a while. I guess is what I'm trying to say. And don't get discouraged if it doesn't happen your first year or your second year, it's a marathon. I keep saying that it's a marathon, not a. Saying that it's a marathon, not a sprint very few people.
Speaker 3:He's the perfect example for that, you know. Yes, he was always a top five, top eight guy when he was racing. It's just something clicked, something he didn't change and that's what's got him to the point where he's at now yeah, you just can't give up I don't know what it was, but he, he's, he's a monster, super shape, you know, and that takes that to the next level.
Speaker 3:So, and that's where it's at, I think now is more about being fitness wise. If you get to that level, if you can get your fitness to the next level, that's what's going to take you the rest of the way, to push you over the top.
Speaker 1:Now let me ask you this? Question. I didn't mean to cut you off again there, devin, but I don't want to forget this. Do you think with now everyone sees that you have to be in shape, like fitness is not just a byproduct of racing, but it is just as important as bike, as bike set up as rider? Do you see more of this? You know multiple year championships, like you had with with barry hawk and bill balance and chris and and walker, or do you just see?
Speaker 3:I don't, I don't think so. I think we're going to see a few years of a champion and then a few years of another one. That's what I, you know, because it's going to be, and it's all about how much a person can put in right. So your everyday joe that's working is not going to be able to put in the work. This is impossible. You know, it's impossible to have a day job and and or a family or or anything else going on and try to get into this fitness and ride all the time, and you know you just can't. The two don't mesh. So to be an elite racer, you're going to have to be focused on one thing, and that's racing, you know, and that's hard for just about anybody to do. Yeah, so that's the level it's at now.
Speaker 3:Um is if you can get some sponsors or if you're at a place where you can afford to do this without doing anything else, which is very rare. But uh, you know, you can definitely put yourself in debt, trying, for sure, uh, but uh, you know, and that was the thing back, like, we got to talk a little bit ago, the, the factory days. You, we had something to look forward to. You know, I got a paycheck. You know what I mean to race an ATV. You know my contract said that this is the next amount you're going to get for this year. You know, and that's crazy because you know that doesn't happen. So, looking back at it, you know, if it would have been now, it would be a whole different ballgame. You know this. This thing would be blown completely out of the water if, if the factories were involved right now with the way people can train and the equipment and that kind of thing.
Speaker 1:So yeah, and that's kind of like what I was thinking it was. It's one of those things where you're going to have to have that special person and not only all the other things combined. You're going to have to have somebody that's going to say, that's going to be willing to say I'm going to give up x amount of years and I'm going to go all in. Maybe I make it, maybe I don, but that's the chance that I have to take to get to where I'm going to be, and it's, it's all it's how bad.
Speaker 1:do you really want it? Yep, and that's what it really comes down to, because whether it's on your dime or somebody else's dime, it's how bad do you want it? You know you can put anybody on the best bike in the world, but if they don't have the, anybody on the best bike in the world, but if they don't have the, the fortitude and and the drive and and have what it takes to push themselves, then you know you're, you're just not going to get to that, that elite of elite levels.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you're, you're, you're talking your top. Let's see one, two, three, four, five, probably your top eight or nine guys are just that's what all they're doing. That's it. You know we're riding, we're training, that's what we're doing. So you know, like I said, the average Joe, you're pretty much crap out of luck now because it's not going to happen. You know, and that's my excuse, you my get to a level, but can you get to that next? You know, everybody can usually get to a level that's pretty decent, but it's going there to that next 10. That gets you to that pro class.
Speaker 1:you know, it's that little stretch, it's not a bunch, but it's so much, it's just it's hard to get to right and and I'll be a hundred percent honest, that's what keeps me out of XC one. Right now is just that fact right there, and you know it is what it is. So I'm I'm fine with letting that dream go.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah there's. You know, at the end of the day we're a bunch of guys or girls, women. We ride off a wheeler a little bit faster than somebody else. You know what I mean and that's the way I've always kind of looked at it. I didn't want to get too big headed just because I was, you know, a pro rider. I had a factory team behind me, or you know what I mean. There were some years there that I thought maybe I was big crap. But looking back at it, you know we're just a few guys going a little bit faster than somebody else. That's all there is to it, you know.
Speaker 1:Well, I'd say, here's the little bit crazy.
Speaker 4:Here's the fastest redneck today, but back in the day I remember everybody would drive to the race and you would drive a $1,500 truck with a $20,000 four-wheeler, yeah, and it didn't really make much sense to anybody else, but on race day it made a lot of sense to the guy racing the four-wheeler. Yeah, now, if you don't have a $, if you don't have a hundred, thousand dollar rig to get there and a fifty thousand dollar four-wheeler.
Speaker 3:You're not doing much, you know. So, uh, and a lot of it is show, and I hate for the sport to go like that. You know what I mean. I wish some of those guys would say, hey, it's not about what you're looking like. You know it's how you're acting out there, how you present yourself, or you know, are you having? You know it's how you're acting out there, how you present yourself, or you know, are you having fun? If you're doing all this and you're still not having fun, why are you even doing it?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I had people say stuff to me because I would go to the nationals Like even last year when I was racing at the nationals I'd drive to the faraway races. It'd be me and then I'd take like a buddy with me so that way I wouldn't have to go by myself and we would drive after work on Friday, get to the race, sleep in the truck, wake up Saturday morning and get race in the afternoon and then, as soon as I was done, we load up and head back home after the race. And they'd be like you're sleeping in your truck and stuff and I'm like let's sleep anywhere as long as I get. As long as I get to line up tomorrow, it don't make a difference.
Speaker 3:so um, a lot of people don't understand how it is. You know, devon does. I grew up in in that era of of we were scraping things together to get to get to races. You know, uh, I didn't have the most money in my stuff and my dad was fielding two bikes Me and my brother. Both were trying to race and the things we had to do. And, to be honest with you, when I was full-time pro, I was going to college full-time. I had a janitorial job. In the evening time I delivered pizzas when I wasn't in college class. So I was working and going to, going to school, trying to make my life better because I knew for the race and wasn't going to get me where I needed to go. You know, I knew it was something I wanted to get there and it was at the time. But looking back, you know I needed something to for return, uh, to to lean on when it was all over with cause it's going to be.
Speaker 3:It's going to be done. Everybody's going to be done one day.
Speaker 1:So what are you going to do after you're?
Speaker 3:done. That's the thing.
Speaker 4:Absolutely, I'll keep making, I'll keep making lights turn on, I guess.
Speaker 3:Yeah, See, there's always something. You know, there's always something.
Speaker 4:That's why I went to a trade school, got my license and stuff.
Speaker 3:So I had, uh, uh, had something right. So yep, yep, you gotta have something. Yep, for sure, because riding the four is not gonna get you much, unless you're that elite couple right now, for sure and even then it's hard yeah even if that the money's not what it used to be yeah, I mean we're.
Speaker 1:I think they're still competing for like 1200 to win at the nationals is what they're winning. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Plus all their sponsorship stuff, it was like a thousand 1200 bucks back in. Oh eight, oh nine, you know. So, uh, it's, it's just not there to make money. You know we're the races You're going unless you can get to that point. Or you know Johnny Gallagher per se. He, he's done a really good job of his career and now he's still in the industry. So you know, that's awesome, that'd have been a dream job. You know, going straight into the industry, that you've always been into making money. So you know, Johnny, somebody for these guys to kind of look up to if they wanted to do something like that, for sure We'll see how Kurt or Adam has you guys know him, we'll see what he does once he's done here. Uh, you know, same basic boat, is he going to go into something in the industry? You know, uh, that's, you know that would be the hope for these guys once they're done, for sure, unless they got something at home that they already do or or stuff like that. So yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, I tell you what Brent I know when, when Devin set this whole thing up, he said you know Brent's probably he's got about a half hour that he can talk and we've far went past that. So I apologize Once I get talking on race and stuff.
Speaker 3:I can just keep on going. So uh, and especially this year where everything's kind of reawakened with me a little bit, and uh, because I was kind of just done and and out and sold all all my box trailer stuff and you know so now when I bought another box trailer, that kind of stuff, so we're getting, we're getting back into it a little bit, so it's got my gears grinding again, let's say but uh, yeah, I don't want to hold you too much longer.
Speaker 1:I know you got to get ready for power line. Uh, it's a school night here, so we get a. We got to make sure Colton can.
Speaker 3:I've got three girls of mine and I've got homework that they need me to help them with tonight as well, so I know that aspect.
Speaker 1:I appreciate you coming on and spending time with us and kind of, you know, going over how it was back then and and talking about how it is now and, um, you know, as always, I'd love to have you back on here again.
Speaker 3:Uh, hope to see you anytime, I really appreciate the opportunity to talk a little bit about race and stuff. And anytime you guys have me on, just just call me up and I'll be more if I have a little bit of time, I'll be than glad, absolutely.
Speaker 1:So I hope to, uh hope to actually put a face with the name this weekend.
Speaker 3:So you'll, you'll be in st claire's, we'll be there too. So I hope, uh, yeah, uh, and we should be. Uh, I don't know if he wants me to announce this or not, but we'll be on the front line this weekend. So, uh, look for us on the front line going xc1 racing.
Speaker 3:Uh, see how, see how it fares us hey, go big or go home that we have nothing to lose and it's a good track for him and he's been running the top five, six, seven anyway. So let's see where we got and go from there all right.
Speaker 1:well, once again, brent, thank you very much for spending some time with us. Uh, best of luck and uh, we'll definitely talk this weekend. So thanks for calling in and spending some time with us.
Speaker 3:Hey, I appreciate it Devin Good hearing from you too, buddy. You guys take care.
Speaker 4:All right, man, thank you.
Speaker 3:Bye-bye. All right, we'll see you. Bye-bye.
Speaker 1:All right, that that was all right. That that was. That was awesome. Um, I I didn't know how that was going to go. I was a little bit nervous calling because I never really met brent before this. I mean, I knew of him, uh, but never really talked to him before and just what a what an awesome outlook on sport. Um, the guy definitely knows what he's talking about, has has a lot of information, a lot of knowledge, and you know. Thanks for setting that up, devin, I really appreciate that.
Speaker 4:I told you it'd be a good show.
Speaker 1:But that kind of messes us up, because I wanted to get into some of the coaching deal that we got going on, some of the coaching deal that we got going on um. But I know we're at almost two hours now and you know you get a newborn at home and you know devin's got to go to bed.
Speaker 2:He's. He's past his bedtime go to bed, kid.
Speaker 4:I was all right. Listen, I was.
Speaker 1:I was cutting grass at midnight last night, I love how, when I got I love how he can't remember any of the races, but he can always slip that that little jab in there at any point in time.
Speaker 4:He's definitely my kid I was cutting grass at midnight and then when I was done cutting grass at midnight and then, when I was done cutting grass at midnight, I came inside, came downstairs and worked out and then after that went upstairs, got my protein in and then watch TV for a little bit, went to sleep for a few and then got up and took my other kid to school. So yeah. When you, when our dedication went, when your dedication lines up with mine, let's have this conversation again.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I'm just giving you a hard time I really I really did do those things, but I'm just giving you a hard time, yeah, but it really.
Speaker 1:It becomes a point of uh, it's not that you really wanted to do it that way, it just that's the way life happens and it's like, if you're gonna do it, that's how it's gonna be well, I still have dreams of making it to the front line.
Speaker 4:So you gotta do what you gotta do. You know what I'm saying? That's right, that's right this year hasn't went according to plan. But I'm not out yet, so we'll regroup and figure it out. But I think before Colton can go talking too much crap on me, he should probably get better at race reports is all I'm saying.
Speaker 4:Yes, I mean we basically gave him all the tools to give us a race report Pretty much, and then he just went staring off into space and I mean I don't know, he didn't even put in his sponsor list yet, like he didn't even try to like hook his sponsors up with anything he could have been like. You know what? Them GBC tires down at the old gray was just getting me right through the rocks. That's how I got to the front so fast.
Speaker 1:And the Lone Star A-arms. I beat the hell out of them on the rocks but they still held up. And you know the AXS shocks. I mean, what else can you say about AXS shocks? But I mean, in a place like that we're just priceless about axis shocks.
Speaker 4:But I mean, in a place like that we're just priceless. Now we put those axis shocks were working so well that it felt like I was riding pillows through the woods.
Speaker 1:I mean, yeah, we put the car, we put the truck in drive for him, put the navigation system on and he fell asleep at the wheel you know, my grandpa always told me you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. Yeah, or talk, in this case it's okay, colton, you're getting there yeah.
Speaker 1:But yeah, I definitely wanted to touch on some of the coaching stuff, but I mean we can, we can even hold that off for another one. Uh, because we got some good stuff and you know I want to. I kind of wanted to incorporate into the show kind of like how the training's been going, is kind of like a like a testimonial to the, the the seven 15 coaching uh program. Um, I mean, do you want to? I don't know how much you want to share yet because I don't know really what you know you're comfortable with with getting out there, as know really what you know you're comfortable with with getting out there. As far as what you got you know you feel confident in. But you know we can take a couple minutes and just go over it and leave everybody kind of like a cliffhanger.
Speaker 4:We'll keep them coming back yeah, yes, so, uh, I mean, it initially started out as just a thing where I was going to do one-on-one in-person classes. Uh, if people wanted to bring a group and you know, we could work out some cheaper pricing per person and do some group riding and stuff like that, uh, but the main goal was just something to make money to put back into my racing program. So I'm not trying to get rich off of it, but if I can buy some parts or pay some entry fees or something like that, then that's great. Yeah, um, so I I worked with the. I've worked with a decent sized group of people. We've probably worked with 15 people. At this point, um, we're still in the early stages of of some stuff. With that being said, some of this has kind of taken off a little more than what I initially thought it would. Um, I guess just because there's not it's not a huge selection of people out there to do what I'm I'm trying to do, right. So we've been working on the program that we've been doing with Colton and it seems to be something that's working. Just based off of what he's saying, some of the stuff you were saying seems more confident, things like that. I think that's working pretty well.
Speaker 4:I think I'm at a point now where I'm comfortable, with the feedback I've gotten from you guys to kind of start introducing some of these. We'll call it monthly programs, right? So we'll have a monthly feed. I'll set up some different drills to do things like that. There'll be a lot more included in the packages, so I don't want to say everything that's going to be included yet. Um, but look for us to be putting out some deals to where we can do like a monthly membership. We'll call it just like you would with a physical trainer, except for it'll be all on the bike type training stuff, so stuff that actually pertains to you when you're racing on the four-wheeler, moving around on seat on the racetrack, things like that, um. So I think it'd be cool.
Speaker 4:Um, I think what we've done so far has been been pretty good. I uh, I know we're getting to the point now where I'm going to have to write some more stuff for him to do. I'm hoping next week sometime maybe I can work something out where I can either come out to you guys or, if the plans work out right, you guys can come out here. But I want to get an in-person session in too, so that way we can kind of go over some of the stuff that we've been talking about, uh, over the phone. But I think it's a good option, because not everybody can can be at my house or there's not all the time that I can be with somebody in person to do something, and we can still put in the work and critique things and and learn together and make things faster.
Speaker 4:Um, you know, the main goal is always just cutting down the lap times and getting you where you want to be with results and stuff like that. There will be a couple different tiers for the packages, so it won't just be a here's one package and if you can't do this package, then you're out of luck. I'm going to create a couple of different options so that way there's, there's stuff out there and, uh, I'll keep the price to a point where, hopefully, more people will be able to afford it. Um, again, I'm not trying to get rich and I've never had a bunch of money in my program to do stuff. So if there's a way that I can offer something that's affordable for other people that might not be able to afford it as good, then that's my goal, right, I want to help as many people as I can. The sport's given me so much, and I just love racing, so it's kind of my way to be able to give back but still be able to support my racing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I'm just trying to interject and not cut you off. Um, I think with with what you're doing is really I hate to use the term groundbreaking, but it's so much different than what has been out there in the past. Because I, like when we were talking, like the biggest obstacle I have is time, like I never thought I got it to a point in my life where I can say I just don't have time. Usually it was always I don't have the money, I don't have the money, but now I don't have the time. Not saying that, you know, I have all the money, but time is the biggest killer for me, and you know I've had people, um Cole has said hey, you know, bring Colton colton up. Well, I'll ride with him, I'll do this. Walker's done the same thing, adam. The list goes on and on. But that only works if I can get him there.
Speaker 1:Um, with what you're doing now, it allows me to have colton with a teacher. That doesn't, isn, isn't location-based, like I don't have to spend two hours driving somewhere for a two hour class and then two hours home. You know before, you know, for a two hour class, I get six hours wrapped in it. Now, with that six hours, six hours wrapped in it. Now, with that six hours he can do six hours worth of work and it's not I'm not wasting four hours, you know just getting to those two hours.
Speaker 1:And I think that's really going to appeal to a lot of people because, you know, some people might have the, the, the funds to pay for that class, but they can't take off work or you know, it's going to cost as much to get them there. And I think, with what you're doing, is really going to appeal to a lot of people because now they can do it at their own pace and, yes, it's going to take discipline, um, but I mean discipline's part of it anyway. So it's just an added benefit to the package. You're going to get out of it, what you put in it, and I'm really excited to see how this thing, you know, really works for a lot of people.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yes. So I think it's awesome. I appreciate you guys having faith in me to kind of go into this, being that you were. You were the first, first people I've done this with Right. So, like I hadn't done this before Um, we had talked about getting together, but the timing wasn't working out and stuff like that, so it ended up being something that came up Right.
Speaker 1:Um out of necessity.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it was. It was out of necessity, right, like I still wanted to be able to help him, but timing wasn't necessarily on our side. So, um, I appreciate you guys going along with it and giving it a shot and things like that. Um, I'm hoping that it's working as good as kind of what I've gotten back from, uh, from feedback. Um, again, the most important thing is the feedback that I get from Colton, because we are remote so I'm not necessarily right there to know exactly what's going on when he's doing a drill or something like that.
Speaker 4:So the videos that you take and send me is helpful. Gopro footage helps. I know we went over the Buchanan GoPro footage and found some things to work on GoPro footage and found some things to work on. It's amazing how much you can actually critique and fix things just by looking at videos and watching GoPros. And, hey, do this drill, and you're naturally, if you do it this way, and then you send me videos for me to be able to critique what you're doing, so that you can physically see what's going on at the same time that I'm telling you what's going on, then it's easier for for people to be able to understand what I'm trying to get across point wise, right. So, um, I just it wasn't something that ever I ever thought of. And then this situation kind of came up and it was like, hey, this might be all right. Um.
Speaker 4:So, again, I, I appreciate you guys coming on board for that and, uh, and working with me and, um, you know, hopefully, as we we keep going, um, we see those results coming from it and things like that, uh, every every month or so, you know, just checking in, all right, are we doing better than we were a month ago? And if we're not, okay, maybe we need to make adjustments to the program so that we can keep progressing further. So, um, you know, it's not always, it's not always sunshine and rainbows, right, there's going to be times where we might hit a wall and, uh, it might take a little bit of adjusting on some stuff to be able to get us kicked back in gear. We'll we'll call it to uh, keep progressing, but, um, you know, we can get the base going, we can use all these other tools nowadays that we have and be able to build from there. So, again, I really appreciate you guys having faith in me to do it and I think it's going to be something that's good for the racing industry.
Speaker 4:I know there's personal trainers and stuff out there that you can do all the time that are remote right, so we can do. We can do that. Why can't we do on the bike training remotely? So?
Speaker 1:yep, we're thinking outside the box yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4:So I will say I think it's. I don't know anybody else that's done this, um, there might be somebody out there that does it, but I'm kind of hoping that this, this brings a light to allow other people also to open doors. Um, but, uh, you know, kind of it's different, right. I just it's something different. We can catch people's attention with it and try to help people out, and uh, hopefully we're talking about needing out the game, right. So hopefully this is a way that we can do that. We can start changing the way that racing works and go from there. So I think it's going to be awesome.
Speaker 1:Trailblazers.
Speaker 4:Yeah, we're trendsetters, not haulers. Right, that's right. We're picking our own I'll get that put on the shirt. Yeah, um, that is one. That is one thing that I need to get done. Um, it's like an official official logo for it, so I am open to ideas on that if anybody's got some suggestions.
Speaker 1:But uh, so if you got suggestions out there, get a hold of Devin with your logo ideas and he'll entertain them all.
Speaker 4:Yeah, no bad ideas.
Speaker 1:All right, man. Well, we're at two hours right now. Too long. Oh, now he talks Shut up Too long, yeah now he talks Shut up.
Speaker 4:Too long? Yeah, he talks for five seconds to tell us we took too long, but he would.
Speaker 2:You know what?
Speaker 4:We could have saved 15 minutes if we weren't waiting for you to tell us about your race.
Speaker 2:That was not 15 minutes. Yeah it was Geico called.
Speaker 1:Geico called.
Speaker 4:That was not a Jimmyimmy johns race report freaky fast, except for downhills and in the turns.
Speaker 1:Was that a jab?
Speaker 2:that was an old man all right, buddy, I want to see how fast you can go I can go fast for fast, for how long?
Speaker 1:fast for how long? Not an issue, it's control. You have to be able to control speed. I cannot control speed. I am I'm an idiot with speed. I can't control it. Slow, slow is smooth yeah, smooth is fast yep, go, look pro, go slow, that's you don't do either so, anyways, all right, devin, we're gonna get off here, we're gonna get ready to go to bed. We got class, we got school in the morning, uh, work in the morning.
Speaker 1:You got kids to attend to workouts and everything else, so I will be, I will be talking to you and uh, you're gonna come, you're gonna make it to uh st claire's will this weekend the plan as of right now is I gotta, I gotta switch some stuff and um, get the bike ready.
Speaker 4:But yes, the plan as of right now, I will be racing at powerline. My expectations are not super high because I haven't been racing much, but I'm running the afternoon race in Junior A and my expectations are no lower for results-wise now, even though I haven't been racing in what they ever have. So the goal is always to win. That's still the goal. So yeah, that's the plan.
Speaker 1:All right, well, you heard it here first. We'll be looking for you and, uh, I will be. I'll be talking to you before then. So thanks for coming on. Thanks for setting up the the. Uh, the call with Brent, that was awesome. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 4:No problem, I uh, I appreciate it as always.
Speaker 1:all right, man talk to you later see you later bye, all right, 34 or 314, take us out what?
Speaker 2:oh, okay, yeah pardon me.
Speaker 1:Well, it's camel, one of your new sponsors, marlboro camel, coughing up a lung there anyways. So, everybody, thank you if you stuck with us for this long, I appreciate it. I thought it was a great show. Um, I appreciate each and every one of you. If you like it, tell a friend. Uh, the more people we got listening to this, the better off it's going to be and it's just going to help everybody. Uh, you know, rising tide floats all boats. So until then, hope to see everybody this weekend at the St Clairsville power line park, gncc. Uh, saturday, and until then and during then, keep them on all four wheels, or three If you ride a three wheeler.
Speaker 1:All right, guys. Thank you so much for your time. We will talk to you later. Bye.
Speaker 2:Uh, just so you know, we never did the other three uh race recaps.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, if they were anything like the first one they're not missing.